Children's home run by Cedar House (Kent) Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 1 Registered provider: Cedar House (Kent) Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It registered in August 2023 and became operational in November 2023. The home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been a change in manager since the last inspection. The new manager joined in April 2024 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children in the home say that they have a trusted relationship with at least two staff and can engage in important conversations about things that matter to them. One child misses a former member of staff who moved to another home within the organisation. However, contact between them is promoted and at times the staff member comes to the home to work with the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education. One child has settled into school and is doing well in mathematics, and another child passed their GCSEs and gained the results needed to get onto their preferred college course. Where children are not in education, managers and staff engage with the wider professional network to ensure that learning is prioritised.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff engage children in meaningful conversations to gain their wishes and feelings. Children’s meetings are held regularly. At times, not all children attend. However, staff are able to gain children’s views through individual conversations. Children have an input into the weekly menu and weekly activity choices. Children who are developing their independence are given a weekly allowance for their food shop and are supported to make healthy food choices.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to grow in their independence at a pace that is individual to each child. Staff listen to children who can struggle with certain independent tasks. For example, one child has been open with staff about their challenges with keeping their room tidy. The child sought help from staff and is being supported with this.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families and those that are close to them. One child has made a lot of progress in establishing friendships and is having age-appropriate opportunities to socialise with newfound friends in the local community.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted about the way their home looks. However, there are ongoing maintenance issues in the home that have not been completed in a timely manner. For example, a bathroom radiator remains damaged since the last inspection. Furthermore, the living room does not reflect a homely, inviting environment due to mismatched furniture, drapery and some lighting not working. The room also has an unpleasant smell.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers respond to safeguarding incidents well. The manager is engaged with the wider safeguarding network when children’s risks increase, to ensure that children have appropriate support in place. This enables the manager to fully understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff remain involved in this process. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 4 All children have an individual missing-from-home protocol. These are updated and reviewed following any period of missing from home. Most children do not go missing from the home. However, one child has. These situations are well managed, as contact is maintained throughout the time the child is away from the home. Protocols are followed, meaning that a collaborated response ensures that the child returns to the home safely.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are good safeguarding practices and strategies in place for staff to manage children’s risks. Children are also helped to understand their behaviour following incidents through restorative conversations. Consequently, this has had a positive impact on children, and they have assisted in restoring damage that was caused during incidents.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The need for using physical intervention to support children with their behaviour is decreasing. However, at times, physical restraint is used by staff as a last resort for one child. When this occurs, the intervention is used proportionately and in line with the child’s agreed safety plans. Following the use of physical intervention, staff carefully support the child to understand why staff intervened and how the measures are used to keep them safe. The child’s views are also sought to ensure their welfare and to explore any underlying causes for behaviour.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Generally, managers give careful consideration to any new children that may move into the home, prior to any moves taking place. However, while assessments are well informed and planning is careful, the risks between children are not explicitly cross- referenced to ensure compatibility. Consequently, some children do not have free access to kitchen utensils due to the impact of risk not being fully explored well among all children.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment practices are inconsistent. This is because the reasons why a staff member left previous employments is not always explored. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that all information is considered by leaders and managers to make sure that the people who work with children are safe to do so.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since April 2024. She is enthusiastic about making the home a ‘home from home’ for the children who live here. The home is currently fully staffed. However, there have been some staff changes due to staff leaving or taking up senior positions for career progression. Staff from another home within the same organisation sometimes work in this home to ensure continuity for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and there is a good oversight of monitoring aspects of children’s care. They are committed to continuous improvement and are proactive and receptive to feedback.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work well with external professionals. All professional feedback is positive. However, the manager has not been able to fully support the independent Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 5 person to gain consent to view children’s care files. This restricts the role of the independent person in being able to fully critique the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision for staff is timely and specific. Staff say that they receive training to enhance their practice. However, it is not clear what training staff have completed and some staff have not been fully trained to meet the individual needs of all children. This results in some staff not being fully equipped to meet the needs of all children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager challenges staff practice when they have not followed protocols correctly. Investigations are completed where necessary to ensure that positive steps are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that communal areas and children’s bedrooms are well presented, decorated and maintained. 20 February 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)) 20 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 7 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.6

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.7

Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

p.7

Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b) (3)) 20 February 2025

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that risks are considered and clearly cross-referenced against the needs, risks and vulnerabilities of children already living in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that recruitment practices are consistent for all staff working in the home, to safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61 paragraph 13.1)

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cedar House (Kent) Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE

p.8

Inspectors

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Salean Bryant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2720159 9 and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9